Packaging box comprising a cardboard bottom and a transparent lid

ABSTRACT

A packaging box comprising a cardboard bottom and a transparent lid removably mounted on the opening of the bottom. The lid comprises a convex portion facing inside the box and cooperating with the opening of the bottom and at least two flaps articulating on opposite edges of the lid. Each overlapping at least partly a side face of the bottom. The flaps each comprise at least locking elements cooperating with complementary locking elements provided in one side face of the bottom or with complementary locking elements born by the other flap auxiliary flaps articulated on the other edges of the lid. The invention is applicable to the packaging of food products.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is the 35 USC §371 national stage of Internationalapplication PCT/FR97/01939, filed on Oct. 29, 1997 which designated theUnited States of America.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a packing box for products, inparticular food products such as pastries.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Packaging boxes conventionally used in the food trade are generally madeof a cardboard blank, cut out, bent and cemented. Such boxesconventionally are not usable in industry and for the distribution offoodstuffs because of their cost of production and filling. Moreover,this type of package does not permit the enclosed product to be seen.

There have been developed boxes that are entirely of transparent ortranslucent material, permitting overall direct viewing of the containedproduct.

However, such boxes are not suitable for high-class contents such as forexample pastries, because of their poor and relatively cheap appearance.

It is thus preferred to use boxes whose bottom is of cardboard and onwhich has been placed a transparent film or cover arranged to fit ontothe bottom.

So as to obtain viewing of the contents, the cover can comprise a windowon top closed by a transparent or translucent film. The cover can alsobe made entirely of transparent or translucent plastic material.However, in this latter case, the production of such covers and theiremplacement are not easy. Moreover, there is not always obtained alocked closure of said cover on the bottom, the cover being simplyplaced over the bottom.

There has been proposed, in Belgian patent BE-A-572 970, a boxconstituted of a bottom on which is disposed and locked a cover having ashape corresponding to the opening of the bottom of the box and whichcomprises two flaps articulated on opposite corners of the cover. Theseflaps can cover totally the side faces of the bottom and thus haverespectively an edge of their own disposed below the bottom, the bottomthus having on its side surfaces retaining plates whose lower portionextends below the bottom so as each to constitute a retaining element inwhich can be fixed the flexible edge of each flap of the cover providedwith a groove adjacent of the bend between the flap and the edge.

According to another embodiment, in the absence of a retaining plate,the edge is bent into V-shape and is disposed below the bottom or else aretaining plate is provided along all the lengths of the lateral surfaceto serve as an abutment to the free end of the edge bent in a V. Thearticulated flaps can also partially cover the lateral surfaces of thebottom and more precisely the upper edge of said lateral surfaces. Theseflaps thus have an edge co-acting with an edge of the opening of thebottom by the horizontally projecting opening of the bottom provided atthe upper end of the lateral surfaces.

In this type of box, it is thus necessary, to obtain good closure, toprovide locking means for the flaps carried by the bottom which arealways projecting from one lateral surface either at its upper end or atits lower end. These locking means provided on a corner of a lateralsurface of the bottom are not always simple to make.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

So as to overcome these drawbacks, there is proposed a packaging boxwhose cover of transparent or translucent plastic material is easilyproduced and whose closure is simple and easy because of the simple andeasy emplacement of the cover on the box, the closure being adapted alsomoreover to be locked.

To this end, the invention has for its object a packaging box of thetype comprising an open cardboard bottom of parallelepipedal shape and atransparent or translucent cover mounted removably on the opening ofsaid bottom, characterized in that the cover comprises an embossmentturned inwardly of the box and co-acting with the opening of the bottomas well as at least two flaps articulated on opposite edges of thecover, each covering at least partially a lateral surface of saidbottom, said flaps moreover each comprising at least one locking meansco-acting with a complementary locking means provided in a side surfaceof the bottom or with complementary locking means carried by the otherflap or auxiliary flaps articulated on other edges of the cover.

Thus, upon emplacement of the cover on the bottom, there is ensured aclosing of the box by the co-action of the locking means carried by theflaps with the complementary locking means provided on the bottom and/oron the other flaps of the cover.

The bottom is preferably made of cardboard in the conventional way, andit can be of the “automatic” type, that is, re-bendable.

The cover is preferably constituted by thermo-forming a plasticmaterial, elastically deformable, transparent or translucent. It ispresent in the form of a parallelepipedal corresponding to the openingof the bottom.

Thus, according to a first embodiment, the cover comprises a protrusionturned inwardly of the box when the cover is emplaced on the bottom andat least two opposite flaps provided each with locking means co-actingwith a complementary locking means provided in each lateral surface ofthe base that the flaps cover at least partially.

According to a modification, the cover preferably comprises two oppositeflaps covering respectively entirely a lateral surface of the bottom,each flap having at its lateral ends, end tongues articulated about thecorners of the bottom, each end tongue partially covering the adjacentlateral surface and each tongue having moreover a locking meansco-acting with a complementary locking means provided on said adjacentlateral surface of the bottom.

Preferably, the locking means are of the tongue/slot type, known per se,and, in the case of the modified embodiment, they are providedrespectively on the end tongues of the flaps of the cover and on theends of the side surfaces of the bottom which are not covered by theflaps of the cover.

This modification permits providing recesses in the side surfaces of thebottom covered by the flaps of the cover so as to offer greatervisibility of the product contents, said flaps being adapted to haveembossments engaging in said recesses. In this manner there is assuredgood emplacement of the cover on the bottom.

In this embodiment, the closing of the box is obtained by theemplacement of the cover and the co-action of the locking means of saidcover and of the bottom. The locking of the closure is obtainedsimultaneously to the closure itself by cooperation of the locking meansof the flaps and of those of the bottom.

According to a second embodiment of the invention, the cover comprisesat least two opposite flaps, each of the flaps being provided withlocking means co-acting with a complementary locking means provided onthe other flap or on an auxiliary flap of the cover so as to ensureclosure of the cover on the bottom.

Thus, the emplacement of the abutment of the cover on the opening of thebottom permits good positioning and the closure is obtained simply byassembling the cover on the bottom by co-action of the locking means ofthe flaps which extend along lateral surfaces of the bottom. There isaccordingly no need to encase the cover along the lateral walls of thebottom, which greatly facilitates closure of the box.

In this embodiment, each of the flaps comprises preferably an embossmentas such to engage in a recess provided on the surface of the bottomcovered by said flap so as to obtain among other things a locking of theclosure of the box by engagement of said embossments in the windows ofthe bottom.

According to a first modification of this embodiment, the two flaps ofthe cover have, at their side ends, lateral prolongations articulated onthe edges of the bottom, the two lateral prolongations of the first flapof the cover partially covering the adjacent surfaces and the twolateral prolongations of the second flap of the cover also coveringpartially the same surfaces, said lateral prolongations being arrangedto cover said surfaces, one of the prolongations comprising a lockingmeans co-acting with a complementary locking means provided on the othersaid prolongation.

Thus, upon locking the lateral prolongations, the cover is closed on thebottom, the embossments of the flaps being moreover engaged andmaintained in their recesses in the surfaces of the bottom so as to lockthe box closed.

The lateral prolongations can be shaped so as to form, upon locking, anembossment adapted to engage in an opening provided in the lateral sideof the bottom that they cover. Thus, there can be used a bottom havingan opening on each side surface.

In this manner, the co-action of the locking means of a flap with thecomplementary locking means of the other flap permit easy closure of thebox, locking of this closure being obtained by the engagement of theembossments of the flaps in the windows of the bottom.

According to a second modification of this embodiment, one of the flapsof the cover is provided at its side ends with two lateral prolongationspivoted on the edges of the bottom and adapted to cover totally the twoadjacent lateral surfaces, each side prolongation comprising an endtongue articulated about an edge of the bottom and partially coveringthe second flap of the cover, each end tongue having a locking meansco-acting with a complementary locking means provided on the second flapof the cover.

In this case as well, the bottom can comprise an opening on each lateralsurface, each lateral prolongation being adapted to have a complementaryprotrusion thus ensuring the locking of the closure of the box.

According to a third modification of this embodiment, the cover has fourflaps articulated on the edges of the cover, two opposite flaps havingat their lateral ends an end tongue articulated on an edge and partiallycovering the adjacent auxiliary flaps, said end tongues havingrespectively locking means and the two adjacent auxiliary flaps havingat their lateral ends a complementary locking means.

Preferably, in this embodiment, the locking means carried by a flap aretongues, the complementary locking means carried by the other flap or anauxiliary flap being slots.

It can also be provided that each flap of the cover has an end tongueprovided with locking means co-acting with a complementary locking meansprovided at the end of the adjacent flap which covers the end tongue andhas a complementary locking means at its other end adapted to co-actwith a locking means carried by the end tongue of the other adjacentflap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in greater detail with the help ofexamples of the invention showing schematically a box before assembly ofthe cover on the bottom, with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a box according to a first embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 1a shows schematically in cross section the embossment turnedinwardly of the box and co-acting with the opening of the bottom;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a box according to a modification of thefirst embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2a shows the cover upside down with each flap having an embossmentfor engagement with a respective recess on the lateral surface of thebottom;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a box according to a first modificationof a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a box according to a second modificationof the second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a box according to a third modificationof the second embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As can be seen in FIG. 1, a box according to the invention comprises acover 1 and a bottom 2.

The bottom 2 of cardboard has an open parallelepipedal shape andcomprises four side surfaces 4, 4′ and 8, 8′.

The cover 1 is made by thermo-forming an elastically deformable plasticmaterial and is prolonged by two flaps 3, 3′ which, when the cover 1 isemplaced on the bottom 2, cover respectively partially the two oppositesurfaces 4, 4′ of the bottom 2. Each flap 3, 3′ comprises a tongue 5lockable in a slot 6 provided at the same position on each surface 4,4′.

On the external surface of the cover 1 is formed a rib forming anembossment 7 which constitutes an abutment member against the peripheryof the edges of the opening of the bottom 2, thereby ensuring goodemplacement of the cover 1 on the bottom 2.

So as to close the box, it suffices to emplace the cover 1 and tointroduce the tongues 5 into the slot 6 so as to lock the closure.

In FIG. 2, the flaps 3, 3′ have dimensions suitable to cover totally thesurfaces 4 and 4′ of the bottom 2. Each flap 3, 3′ comprises two endtongues 9. Upon emplacement of the cover 1 on the bottom 2, the flaps 3and 3′ cover the surfaces 4 and 4′ and the end tongues 9 articulated onthe edges of the bottom 2 partially cover the two adjacent surfaces 8and 8′ of the bottom 2. Each end tongue 9 is provided with a tongue 5co-acting with a slot 6 provided at the same place at each end of thesurfaces 8 and 8′ of the bottom 2.

Preferably, the openings 10 in the surfaces 4 and 4′ of the bottom 2,the flaps 3 and 3′ being provided with an embossment 11 corresponding tosaid openings 10 such that, when the flap 3 or 3′ covers the surface 4or 4′, the embossment 11 engages in the opening 10.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show the second embodiment of the invention.

In FIG. 3, the flaps 3 and 3′ are provided with embossments 11 adaptedto engage in openings 10 provided in the surfaces 4, 4′ of the bottom 2that they cover.

The flaps 3, 3′ are moreover provided, at their side ends, withprolongations 12, 12′. Thus, although the flaps 3, 3′ cover the surfaces4, 4′, the lateral prolongations 12 and 12′ of the flaps 3 and 3′partially cover the two adjacent surfaces 8 and 8′ of the bottom 2. Alateral prolongation 12 and a lateral prolongation 12′ extending along asame surface 8 or 8′ of the bottom 2 are so dimensioned as to overlap,one comprising a tongue 13 and the other a slot 14.

Upon locking the lateral prolongations 12 and 12′, the embossments 11 ofthe flaps 3, 3′ are engaged in the openings 10 of the surfaces 4, 4′.Thus, the cover 1 is retained on the bottom 2 by means of theembossments 11 engaged in the openings 10, the closure of the boxobtained by the co-action of the locking means of the flaps 3, 3′ isthus perfectly locked.

In this embodiment, it is possible to provide a bottom 2 of which allthe surfaces 4, 4′, 8 and 8′ are provided with openings 10, the lateralprolongations 12, 12′ being shaped so as to form, upon their locking onthe surfaces 8 and 8′, an embossment 15 engaging in the opening 10 ofsaid surfaces 8 and 8′.

According to the modification of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4,only the flap 3 is provided with lateral prolongations 16 adapted tocover the adjacent surfaces 8 and 8′. Each lateral prolongation 16comprises at its longitudinal end, an end tongue 17 adapted partially tocover the end of the adjacent flap 3′. Each end tongue 17 comprises atongue 18 co-acting with a slot 19 provided at the same position on theflap 3′.

The lateral prolongations 16 can also comprise an embossment 20 adaptedto engage in an opening 10 provided on each surface 8, 8′ of the bottom2 which thus comprises four openings 10.

In FIG. 5, the cover 1 comprises four flaps 3, 3′, 30, 30′, the twoopposite flaps 3, 3′ comprising end tongues 31 partially covering theends of the two auxiliary flaps 30, 30′ respectively articulated on theedges of the cover which do not comprise flaps 3, 3′. Each end tongue 31has a tongue 32 co-acting with a slot 33 provided at each end of theadjacent flaps 30, 30′.

Preferably, the locking of the closure of the box is ensured byengagement of the embossments 11 provided on each flap 3, 3′ and theembossments 34 provided on the flaps 30 and 30′ in openings 10 providedon each lateral surface 4, 4′, 8 and 8′ of the bottom 2.

A box according to the invention therefore offers the advantage of beingadapted to be easily closed, the cover being adapted to be locked on thebottom, of being also equally easy to open, the means being reversible,of being simple in construction, and easy to store before use, the coverin particular being stackable and the bottom being adapted to be folded.

What is claimed is:
 1. Packaging box comprising: an open cardboardbottom having a parallelpipedal shape and a plurality of lateralsurfaces; a transparent cover removably mounted on the opening of thebottom; said cover comprising an embossment turned inwardly of the boxfor co-acting with the opening of the bottom, and at least two flapsarticulated on opposite edges of the cover; each flap totally coveringone of the lateral surfaces of the bottom; each flap further comprisingat least one locking means for co-acting with one of a complementarylocking means provided in a lateral surface of the bottom and acomplementary locking means carried by one of the other flaps orauxiliary flaps articulated on other edges of the cover; each flapcomprising end tongues articulated on edges of the bottom and partiallycovering the adjacent lateral surfaces; one of said locking means beingarranged on each end tongue for co-acting with one of the complementarylocking means carried by said adjacent lateral surface.
 2. Box accordingto claim 1, wherein the bottom is foldable.
 3. Box according to claim 1,wherein the cover is constituted by thermo-forming a transparentelastically deformable plastic material and is stackable.
 4. Boxaccording to claim 1, wherein the locking means are constituted bytongues, and the complementary locking means carried by the bottom areslots.
 5. Box according to claim 1, wherein the flaps of the cover haveembossments for engaging openings provided in lateral surfaces of thebottom which they cover.